Chapter 2 – The Next Move

Tom sat back in the black leather chair and turned the long slender wand in his hands. Cygnus just stared at him, until Tom spoke.

"So… we have a few to train and millions more to be brought to their senses." Tom whispered harshly. He wanted his revolution to happen as quickly and efficiently as possible. Only Cygnus and a few members of his family had agreed to help him, and Tom needed millions for his plans to be successful.

"Tom, I understand that you're a bit uneasy about all this." There was a silence. Tension was building in the air as Tom mistook Cygnus' remark as a great insult. Moments passed at the speed of hours. Tom took a deep beath.

"I just need people."

"I can handle that." Tom glanced up at Cygnus, who had his hands folded on the dark mahogany desk.

"What do you mean?" He stood up and walked closer, anticipating a revival of the plans he once trusted, but soon discovered to be faulty and defective.

"You have been invited to my family's Halloween Ball, haven't you, Tom?"

"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid that I have not."

"Oh, dear, well, our family has a Halloween Ball with many of the other pureblood families in Europe: the Lestranges, the rest of the Black family, the Goyles, the Malfoys, the Crabbes, and we used to have to Gaunt family before they all died out and disappeared."

Tom twitched, nervously, at the sound of his mother's surname.

"Of course, Tom, we also have a few families from Germany, Albania, the Chevaliers and the Pelletiers from Paris, of course, and the Chopins from Poland, and a few others from Russia. It's a very big event, Tom! I'm so sorry that you haven't been invited before! But! Anyways, I have an idea about this Ball."

Tom leaned closer and Cygnus smiled at him. He ran his fingers through his hair and got out a quill and parchment. Cygnus drew a circle and two blobs next to it: one big and one small.

"This circle, is the Halloween Ball, and this big thing," he pointed to the big blob, "Is Europe. The small one is England and right now your ideas about pureblood domination are only in a small corner of this small country."

Tom nodded.

"Now, you see, if we promote your ideas at this Ball, I assure you that every family there will be right there with you and offer their support, either financially or physically (as in, fighting) or both! Then, your ideas get spread across Europe, which could lead to them being transferred into China and Africa and soon to the rest of the world. Before you know it, you'll have more followers than you can count!"

Tom thought Cygnus' ideas a little too positive and for a second thought, I hope his daughter isn't like this.

Cygnus and Tom discussed details and in less than five minutes, the deal was set.

* * *

As Tom was escorted to the front door, he could not stop thinking about his plans. They're actually going to work, he thought. By bringing in this girl, he could possibly have access to controlling even more Slytherins from her year, or even younger! He chuckled at the thought of bringing the entire Slytherin house against Dumbledore. And with this Halloween Ball, he could soon have the entire world at his feet! As he stepped onto the unpaved rode in front of the Black Mansion, he could feel the cold foggy air around him. He kicked the dirt underneath him and gazed back up at the house he had just left. There were two lit windows. One, the office of Cygnus Black, was empty. But, the other window, at the top of the second floor, in the right corner of the house, was a bright purple-painted room. There were two young women inside. Bellatrix, with her dark curly hair, was unmistakable. She and the other girl, also pale but with brown hair in place of black, were talking excitedly about something. Bellatrix was clearly happy, but the other girl appeared confused and slightly angered. Tom smiled, something quite unusual for him, and took one final look before disappearing into the crisp air.

After Bellatrix was ordered to leave her father's office, she slowly walked out of the room and into the hallway. Her heart was fluttering and… was she shaking? She took her hand and held it to her cheek. The burning hot feeling on her face affirmed her exhilaration about what had just occurred. She glanced back to check that the office door was closed, and she sprinted up the staircase to the second floor. She ran along the hallways, received a disapproving remark from one of the house elves, and continued on to her sister's room. Without thinking, she burst into the poster-filled room, and jumped onto her sister, who was lying on the bed.

"Andy!!!!!!" Bella hugged her sister so hard that Andromeda had to make her stop.

"Petrificus totalus!" Andromeda screeched, as Bellatrix suddenly let go and flopped onto the floor of the room. Andromeda laughed and quickly performed the counter-curse. "Oh, my God, Bella! What the hell was that?"

"Hahahahahaha, oh, Andy, I'm just so excited!" Bella thought for a moment… "Wow, that sounded so cliché."

"It's okay," Her younger sister, Andromeda, muttered as she flipped though a Hogwarts summer reading book about Herbology.

"Stop looking at those stupid plants!" Bella teased as she grabbed the book and levitated it to the ceiling.

"Oh, Bella, give it back!" Andromeda stood on her bed, in hopes of reaching it. After a failed attempt, she jumped down, grabbed her wand, and was about to cast a confundus charm on Bella when she noticed…

"I like your dress! Is it new?"

"Wow, Andy, I have like your favorite book and all you care about are clothes?"

"Oh, hush up!" Andy laughed as she went to feel the material.

"You like it?"

"Where did you get it?"

"Some boutique in London."

"Hanging around in muggle cities finally, are we?"

"Shut it! I was going for a walk and I just saw it. It's quite fashionable, you know, and school starts next week. I want to look my best on the train."

"Well, you look gorgeous."

Bella walked over to Andromeda's mirror and touched her dark mountains of curls.

"Except for my hair… it's too... well… it's just ugly, that's all."

Andromeda walked over to her sister and walked in front of the mirror, to block it.

"Do you know how many people would die to have your hair?"

"I know, it's just I would rather have it more modern! Straight, and maybe a shorter cut?" Bella grabbed her hair and sat down on Andromeda's bed. "Anyways, you know that, um, man that father has been seeing every week or two?"

Andromeda nodded.

"Well, I don't know exactly what he does, but apparently I've been hired as his apprentice…"

"Wait… what? Bella, are you sure you didn't sign up for a job as his mistre-"

"Shut up, Andy! No!" Bellatrix's happiness suddenly turned to anger. Andromeda was taken aback and got her wand ready.

"Bella, are you okay?" She said tentatively.

"I'm fine. I have absolutely brilliant news and you have positively no-"

"Oh, my God! Calm down! Bella, I suggest you go talk to father, because right now, you have absolutely no idea what job you have. And what are the others going to think?"

Bellatrix exhaled, trying to calm herself, and whispered harshly, "Andy, I have no interest in what they think. How would you understand them? You, the one Slytherin in history who hangs out with those stupid Ravenclaw girls?"

"Okay, I think you just contradicted the sorting hat, as to the definition of Ravenclaw girls, umm… "

"I have nothing to say to you." Bella knew that Andy was right. She didn't know what job she had been assigned, just that she was now going 'to help the world, in ways that she couldn't imagine,' as her father put it.

"Go talk to father, and then come talk to me!" Andromeda pointed her wand at the record player and music began to play.

Bellatrix walked to the door, looked back and said, "Is this that muggle crap music that you like?" She gave Andromeda a look of disgust and slammed the door.

Andromeda whispered, "I don't know about you, but I like the Beatles, okay?" as the Herbology book slammed to the floor from the ceiling.